New Tick Problem

I just got back blood test results today and it confirmed I'm allergic to red meat. By red meat I mean all mammals and mammal products, and dairy is a product of mammals. I finally figured it out a few months ago after having a lot of serious problems over the last four years, and the blood test just confirmed it. This is becoming a much more common allergy and it is caused by ticks. Tick bites are causing allergic reactions and whatever is in the tick bite that the body reacts to is also in all red meat. This is primarily in the south because of the tick species that causes it. This problem appears to be growing really really fast so everyone needs to be careful come tick season, especially in the south but everywhere because of the other potential problems.

Needless to say this could be pretty serious if SHTF because it really limits what's on the menu. Tick bites would also be very prevalent if SHTF in the summer months.

For me personally this really sucks, but thankfully it isn't something worse. This is a life changing thing though. My deer rifles won't be getting much use in the future. And one of my goals for this year was to supply all of my own meats and vegetables. I've got three deer in the freezer and was planning on getting one or two more along with a few hogs right after deer season. That would have supplied 80% of my meat for next year. Rabbit, squirrel, coon, and a few other critters would have taken care of the remaining 20%. Now I've got to regroup. I guess the shotgun is going to get some serious use now on fowl (even though I hate a shotgun)?

Fortunately I'm better at fishing than hunting.
The down side is that fishing just isn't cost effective. The cost of gas for a bass boat really adds up, and that's not counting the cost of the boat. Ironically I sold my bass boat when all of my heath problems started! Irony is not without a sense of humor.
I guess I'm going to have to rethink all of that? And I just realized that water is going to become really important to me in the future (fish and waterfowl). I'm certainly going to have to rethink bug out locations and prepping (not much need for a snare now or most smoked and canned meats).

This allergy can go away one day, or it can last from now on. Similar to the way you can loose your immunity to a disease that you've been inoculated for. And it's not lyme disease. This is an allergy just like being allergic to a bee sting or peanuts. A lot of people here that spend time in the outdoors have noticed that tick bites have changed over the past 10 years or so. I'm sure it's gone on longer but it really became noticeable in the last 10 years.

The reaction to meat can be slow because it takes awhile to digest, and that makes it hard to figure out. Not to mention who would ever think they are all of a sudden allergic to meat?

Tick bites started to leave ugly marks and it takes weeks for the marks to heal. That's an indication of an allergy to them. That use to never happen. Ironically my doctor and I were talking about how tick bites all of sudden started leaving marks before I got checked. He commented on the large number of patients that have asked him about that and that ticks leave marks on him now. He hadn't even heard of the allergy until I asked for a referral to an allergy doc. The marks don't necessarily mean you are allergic or that your body will suddenly react to meat but it is something to watch out for. Something's changed with the ticks but no one has figured it out yet?

Crazy stuff. Thanks for the heads up.In nw Ohio, there has been a new species of tick that has taken residence starting this year. I can't recall what species, but I know ticks have gotten progressively worse the last 3-5 years. I never had one until 5 or so years ago. In the last 3 years, I've had a dozen or so just from mowing. Bastards.

I'm also wondering if this might be part of why i lost my taste for meat when i was a teenager. I don't remember the meat causing illness; i just remember not liking the taste anymore (really greasy & such). I do still enjoy sushi occasionally. I don't think i could stomach a burger to test my gullet. We do have a lot of ticks down here.

I am sorry to hear about your allergy. I would freak out. I am not satisfied unless I have a chunk of meat with my meal.

I use Sevin dust in my yard. I buy a 25 lb bag. Then apply it with a small push type fertilizer spreader. I never have ticks at all. I apply Sevin in the same method to areas where I walk a lot. If you don't have pets spectracide makes a pelletized product you can apply to your yard for less. Spectracide claims it is safe for pets and children after watering. My dog had a reaction to spectracide after several rains. She will dig up and eat white grubs. I had to keep her on a leash for two months to prevent her from eating the grubs. In turn, I went back to sevin dust which has never created a vet bill.

Always wear a dust mask when applying pesticides. Dust masks are cheap. Get a new one every 30 minutes or so until you are finished applying the pesticide.

Tluke;
I'm sorry to hear this. And thanks for sharing. I too have never heard of such a thing!

Anyway, you didn't work your way to the top of the food chain to eat vegetables. It sounds like you'll be getting protein more from poultry, fish, soy, beans, wheat, and personally I'd throw in the occasional roasted tick! Not the end of the world.

The symptoms vary greatly. When it first started I would suddenly feel faint and have to lay down to keep form passing out. I've since learned that a messes up intestine will cause that. Then I had all sorts of blood pressure issues. My Gaul bladder quit working and I couldn't eat much until it came it out (I dropped 40lbs in a month). I could eat again after it came out but had irritable bowel syndrome (alternating diarrhea and constipation) and still had problems passing out, plus I just felt really bad. That was 4 years ago. I slowly got to feeling better and could function. I would have spells hit off and on where I just felt really bad for a few days to a week and almost always had worse stomach problems than normal when those spells would hit. And occasionally I would have trouble breathing after eating.

I stumbled across and article about ticks and allergy to red meat in July. That's when the light bulb went off. I had almost quit eating red meat and ate mostly chicken. I never realized that meat made me feel bad, but I had noticed that I felt better when I ate chicken. I always felt bad when ate meat but I keep thinking it must have been whatever I ate with it that caused me to feel bad. It never occurred to me that it was the meat. I cut out all red meat in July except for an occasional bite just to what happened (not good) and things got better. So I was pretty sure that what it was but needed a blood test to verify it was an allergy and not just stomach problems (like my doctor kept saying and trying to treat for).

When the blood test verified that it was an allergy I read up on it more and hopefully put the last piece in place. Dairy is also from a mammal, as is lard. So this week I'm cutting out dairy and hopefully that will be the end of my problems?

The big thing I learned from all of this is that doctors are just like car mechanics. If you can go in say this is what's wrong now fixing it they do ok. If they have to figure out what's wrong you are on your own. Doctors are trained to treat the symptoms and not the cause, and they are idiots. So why exactly are they paid so much?

Im going through a similar issue with gluten products at least Maybe if you go meatless for a month or two it might wear off. Good luck.

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I feel for you with the gluten. That was going to be the next thing I tried if my allergy test had come back negative for red meat. In fact I had already started thinking about the dietary changes needed for it and was getting ready to try it. It is definitely tougher going gluten free than red meat and dairy free. Good luck with it, and I really hope it works for you.

I feel for you with the gluten. That was going to be the next thing I tried if my allergy test had come back negative for red meat. In fact I had already started thinking about the dietary changes needed for it and was getting ready to try it. It is definitely tougher going gluten free than red meat and dairy free. Good luck with it, and I really hope it works for you.

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you have my total sympathy and i totally understand how life changing it is. i know im having recurring issues with higher cholestoral and vitamen deficiencies im having to keep track of. when you make a radical change you need to keep track of it with blood tests until you get the new diet down.

it wasnt as hard to change as i thought as everytime i think i want some bread product or gluten product all i have to do is think about what it will do to me if i indulge. it isnt as hard to change with that sort of motivation we both have.

i just wanted to let you know you aint alone with the life changing diet thing

Fwiw... If you have a bug out location, consider free ranging some chickens on your land. Here in the Maine boonies a lot if people have chickens (and I recently learned, guinea hens) because they wipe out ticks in your yard.

Fwiw... If you have a bug out location, consider free ranging some chickens on your land. Here in the Maine boonies a lot if people have chickens (and I recently learned, guinea hens) because they wipe out ticks in your yard.

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A friend just told me the same thing about guineas. Plus they are mean as can be and will let you know if anyone is around.